Color Measurement on Metalized Substrates

One such sphere spectrophotometer offered by X-Rite is the SP64. It offers three different aperture sizes to provide the flexibility needed for printing applications, can save 1,024 reference colors and up to 2,000 samples, and can link to quality control software for data reporting.

While it is feasible to measure inks on foil or metal using a 45° spectrophotometer, users need to understand the technology limitations, since the measurement values could indicate that the sample is darker and more saturated than it really is. If you understand this and can work around these issues, it is possible to use a 45° spectrophotometer for this purpose with success. However, most users working with metalized substrates prefer to work with sphere instruments given their ability to provide specular-included readings. pP